Being Changed (Transfiguration Sunday)

Jesus taught that our light must be like a city on a hill, shining out in the darkness, illuminating God’s good news for all the world to see.

You and me — we are that light, living here and now. Our lives are witnesses to Jesus. When we live in his way, we shine that light out for others to see, to know they can find refuge. Like a prism refracting, so our light shines out in a myriad of ways to all corners of Creation. May we be dazzling in our light. May we be changed from darkness to light, transfigured as Christ for all the world to see the goodness of God, shining through the darkness.

Let us pray.

Luke 9:28–36 NRSV

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

This week, as I read this text and prayed about the direction to take my sermon today, I was struck by something. I’ve read this story many, many times. I’ve preached on it, written papers in grad school about it. This is the story of when Jesus’ true identity is made plain to his disciples.

But what struck me, in addition, is that this story paints a brilliant picture of the Church universal. The one, Holy, catholic and apostolic church. I’ll get to those terms in a moment, but truly, I felt like my eyes were opened a bit.

What do I mean?

Well, this text can tell us the story of the many streams of Christianity, as it has developed over the years. It also reminds us that throughout history, there are a myriad of ways that majority and minority groups have collectively sought to make meaning — finding different emphases, diverging in direction regarding worshipping styles, and accepting that context leads to unique expressions of the faith.

We are one body, amen?

We say this, but in times like these, I find it important to firmly remind us — we are one body. In our profession of faith, we say that we are one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. One church.

Quick definitions — holy, well, you probably have a sense for this, but in the context of describing the Church universal, we need to remark that through Jesus Christ, his life, death, and resurrection, the whole Church has been sanctified, made holy, set apart in all creation. That means you and me and our siblings in Christ are set apart to be righteous, living out the way of Jesus in our world. (Does this sound familiar to our recent teachings from Jesus — blessed are the poor, the merciful. Love your neighbors. Love your ENEMIES. Be Holy, as God the Creator is Holy.

And that Holy church is one church in our Catholicity. Fun big word. Know what it means? Catholic, in this statement, is not describing just the Catholic Church that sits under the authority of the Pope. No, this is a lowercased “c” catholic and it means universal. Whole. All of it. A holy, universal community.

And finally, apostolic. Meaning, people who have witnessed Christ’s love and tell about it. The Apostles — they’re the ones who we count to having encountered Jesus first hand and lived to tell the story. When we talk about an apostolic church (one, holy, catholic) — we’re talking about the enduring church of witnesses to Jesus — you and me. This is part of why we make our professions of faith — we are stating that we have witnessed the Risen Christ in our lives and now live in response.

One Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.

What does this have to do with the Transfiguration?

Well, this is the moment when we can step back, view the whole mountaintop experience, and see the early formations of the Christian Church, represented in the figures both present and remembered in this passage.

If you’re not tracking with me, bear with it, we’ll get there.

So this scene reveals Jesus’ true nature as the Messiah of God and it also is a pivot moment in the life of the religious devotion of these people.

Who all is there?

Jesus. Peter. James. John.

Peter. James. and John.

Peter, who will go on to be called the Rock upon which Christ will build the Church. Peter, who is venerated as the first Pope of the Church. Peter, who would go on to represent the “big C” Catholic Church, the Church of Rome.

James. Now in James, we can see a few different angles of how the church would go. James, the one from whom we take our namesake as a church. James, the voice of justice and wisdom. I look to James and see the entire social justice and righteousness traditions. Out of the pilgrim witness of James, we have movements around the world in mission and support for the least of these, as he says, the poor and the oppressed. James walks with them.

And then John. John, the mystic. John, representing in many ways the Eastern Church, sometimes connected with the Orthodox tradition. John, who historically is thought to have ventured East from Jerusalem, John’s tradition being wrapped in spirit and mystery, revealing the Beloved Christ.

We might say Peter represents the structure of the church, James represents the action of the church, John represents the contemplative or mystical traditions of the church.

Ok, now who else is there?

Jesus, certainly. The Christ, the one who brings this all together.

But there are also some surprise guests who show up and begin speaking with Jesus. Who are they?

Well, they’re Moses and Elijah of course.

Remember, God is revealing Christ’s identity as the Messiah, so not only does this have to be seen in his connection with the future Church of Christianity, but we also see him gathered with the Patriarch and Prophet — Moses and Elijah.

Luke tells us that as Jesus’ face changes, he begins speaking with two other men, Moses and Elijah.

I try to picture this in my imagination, but the closest thing I get to is like a “force-ghost” of Obi Wan Kenobi or Yoda. While that might be sufficient, I know it has to be more.

Anyway…Moses — the representative of the Hebrew Law. Moses, the liberator and leader. Moses, who for faithful Jews represents the wholeness of God’s direction to God’s people through history. Moses, the one who led the people out of captivity and, in their primordial wandering in the desert, the one who God reveals the law to, this code of life that becomes the Holy Scriptures of the First or Old Testament.

And then Elijah — the prophet. And a specific prophet of prophets from the Hebrew tradition. Elijah, the prophet who spoke to the wicked King Ahab, Queen Jezebel, the prophet to Israel in the time of great famine. Elijah of Tishbe, who brought miraculous signs from God and contrasted the wicked prophets of the King by denouncing their worship of the Baal, the God of storms who was prayed to by the people during their famine. Elijah, who shows the people the shortcomings of the monarchy, once again. No Kings but God the King.

So Moses and Elijah, the fathers of the ancient way, the Hebrew tradition. And Peter, James, and John, the upstart leaders of God’s Kingdom here on earth. And then, of course Jesus — at the center, the focal point, the center of this direction of God, moving through the Hebrew people and being revealed to the Gentiles through Jesus.

The story of the Transfiguration is a pivot point in religious history. It is this moment where ancient and future collide. Where tangible and mystical intermingle.

And it is in this moment, with the prophets and the apostles, that we gain our greatest clarity yet one who Jesus is and what God’s work in him is about.

Of course, to make it very clear that they understand the significance of this moment, Luke tells that Peter and his companions perk up in this moment and realize it is a time to worship.

Again, this is a tie between the ancient and the future. Just as Moses and Aaron, when they crossed the Jordan River with the Hebrew people and entered the promised land, so Peter also wants to set up a rock altar, an Ebeneezer, to commemorate this moment. Not just one dwelling (by the way, we could read this as an ebeneezer, a rock of help or marker, much like a stone cairn that you see out on mountain trails. But also, a dwelling — a temple. A tabernacle. Like the arc of the covenant, in a way. Again, a marker of ancient and future. Dwellings for the holy ones who are manifested here before them, dwellings for their remembrance and worship.

And in this incredible moment, all things come into focus on Jesus. Ancient and Future. The Law, the Prophets, the Church.

What happens next is, of course as well, significant.

In Luke ch. 3, we hear the story of Jesus’ baptism and the voice from heaven saying, “You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased.”

Now, the voice comes from a cloud and the word is announced to the onlookers, not Jesus himself. “This is my Son, my Chosen, listen to him!”

The first voice speaks to Jesus, affirming his ministry at his baptism.

The second voice speaks to us, the Church, to Peter, James and John — listen to him, he is the Chosen one.

From personal blessing to worldwide directive — This is the moment when all is made clear — Jesus is the one who was promised.

All the way, from our Advent stories and the birth of Christ, to this moment, we’ve been following on with Jesus’ ministry. He’s been baptized, he’s called his first disciples, he’s taught and shared his Good News. Miracles have begun, signs and wonders. And the people are wondering — could this be the Messiah, the holy one who has been promised?

Ok — so what? Let’s bring this home. What does any of this have to do with us.

I wonder, how many different church and theological traditions do we have represented among us? Sure, this is Presbyterian Church, but I know for a fact that many of us come from different Church traditions or denominations, along our journey here.

Who do we represent, where do we come from?

Independent? Assemblies of God? Baptist? Catholic? Lutheran? Methodist?

Anyone from the Anabaptist tradition, Quakers, Mennonites, Amish?

We reflect the many streams of Christianity as we shine the light of Christ out.

We also need to be clear about what light we are shining? Is it the light of Christ? Or, sadly as we witness it across our country, is it the contorted witness of Christian Nationalism, which falsely attempts to combine Nationalist rhetoric with the suffering servant Jesus. They don’t mix and sadly, we’re seeing some contorted, distorted, warped depictions of Christianity in our world these days. Much like how the Nazi movement coopted the church. Or the Catholic Church justified the Crusades.

Ok, before I digress too far…

The Transfiguration is the focal moment, when the Light of Christ is revealed fully for all to see.

And we, us, we are the continuing refraction of that light, going out to all corners of the world.

What the voice tells the apostles is true for us today too: This is the Christ, the Chosen. Listen to him.

Friends, we are better together and must learn to celebrate our collective belonging, as well as work with one another through our differences. We must shine our lights as a community of God’s saints, all of us following that light to shine into the darkness of this world.

One thing that we share in common today and through history is this celebration at the Lord’s Table. Another refraction point — this table is where we gather to remember Christ, we, one body, united in this feast of love.

Let us pray.